


Man's Best Friend

by Josey (cestus)



Series: Dog Days [1]
Category: Bleach
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Gen, Soap Opera
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-08
Updated: 2014-12-08
Packaged: 2018-02-28 14:01:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,866
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2735237
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cestus/pseuds/Josey
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Life is looking good for Abarai Renji. Five years after striking out on his own, he's got an apartment he loves, his own small business training difficult dogs - or most often, re-educating their problematic owners - and the companionship of his faithful crossbreed, Zabimaru. What more could a guy possibly want. Sure, he's single, but surrounded by good friends and their plethora of pets, he's not on the look out for a lover. </p>
<p>Then one day, he gets a phone call from a man about a dog.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Man's Best Friend

**Author's Note:**

> This is a total WIP. I have no clue where it's going or how it's gonna get there. Basically it's a place for me to play around and not worry about plot while I'm writing the epic. Suggestions for cameos welcomed, though no promises made about follow through. And just as a heads-up, it's gonna be ByaRen but I'm sure there's gonna be loads of other pairings of all kinds.
> 
> Thanks to [junko](http://archiveofourown.org/users/junko/pseuds/junko) for the beta and cheerleading. Without her, this would still be languishing on my HDD.

Renji was throwing a ball for Zabimaru in the back field when his new phone began blasting 'Who Let the Dogs Out' at full volume. Frantically juggling treats, leash and spare tennis balls, he wrestled the thing from his jeans pocket - and he was going to kill Akon for setting that as a ringtone, seriously - swiped his thumb across the screen and jammed the phone between ear and shoulder. 

"Inuzuri Dog Training," he said brightly. "Abarai Renji speaking."

At the sound of Renji's voice, Zabimaru dropped the ball and cocked his head, presumably trying to work out if Renji was speaking to him or not. Rather than confuse the dog, Renji scritched the red Kai Ken crossbreed behind the ears, and continued, "Whatever your pooch's problem, we aim to fix it." 

After a moment's silence, a well-spoken male voice replied, "I always assumed that was the entire purpose in hiring an expert. If you have no intention of 'fixing the problem', I would do better tackling it myself."

Ah, one of _those_ customers. Renji rolled his eyes, threw the ball for Zabimaru again so he could hold the phone more securely, and started back across the field. Mud squished beneath his boots. "So, I'm guessing you're having dog issues, sir," he said. 

After ten years in the trade, five of those under the watchful eye of Zaraki Kenpachi, the best dog trainer in the country, Renji had come across all sorts of owners. This one sounded like someone who thought he knew it all, which in Renji's experience tended to make for some 'interesting times', in the Chinese proverbial sense of the phrase. 

There was a longer silence from the other end of the phone and then the man said, "There was an incident, with my sister's pet rabbit." Another pause, during which Renji thought he heard the sound of papers being shifted around in the background, and then the man continued, "Thankfully the creature was unharmed, however that proved to be part of an escalating pattern of disobedience and destructiveness which I have as yet been unable to find an adequate solution to. Hence the need for an 'expert'."

Renji could hear the scare quotes. Biting back a sharp retort, he signalled Zabimaru to heel, slipped his leash back on and opened the gate into the lane. "Well, you called the right place, 'cause solutions is what we aim to find." Despite his lack of interest in the case, his mind was already turning over possibilities. For a dog to suddenly change its behaviour, normally meant something had changed in the household. 

Unless it was sick? Maybe he should check this out, just in case. 

"If I can take a few details. Your name, the dog's…" His voice trailed off because, dammit, taking notes was actually easier said than done out here. Especially since he hadn't got a pen and paper with him. Why the hell had he agreed to give Rikichi the evening off again? This sort of call was normally his problem. Renji was the one who rang back once they had all the details.

Looking worriedly up and down the lane in the hopes of seeing something helpful, Renji's eyes lit on a nearby patch of mud. Maybe if he used a stick…?

"My name is Kuchiki Byakuya," the man said. 

Renji's thoughts scattered, because that name he knew. "Rukia's brother?" he blurted.

Silence. This one longer and more uncomfortable than the last. Finally Kuchiki said, "Will this be a problem?"

A problem? Never! If anything, Renji was overjoyed. It had been years since he'd last seen Rukia. Not since halfway through junior high, when her long lost sister had arrived out of nowhere and swept her away on a cloud of sweet perfume and expensive promises, leaving Renji behind as the only kid their age at their shared foster home.

If it would give him any chance at all of seeing Rukia again, Renji would take on whatever problems her brother's dog had and be grateful for it.

Realising that he hadn't actually answered, Renji said hurriedly, "Yeah, no, that's okay. Fine, even." 

He laughed, more than a bit nervously, rescued a tennis ball from his pocket and began tossing it gently, being careful not to jerk on the leash looped around his wrist. Zabimaru's dark amber gaze followed the ball like it was prey, his tongue lolling. "But that totally explains the rabbit thing. Heck, I'm impressed your dog's still alive and kicking if it went after one of Rukia's bunnies." 

As far back as Renji could remember, Rukia had always had a rabbit obsession. Growing up, their shared bedroom wall had been the site of some epic battles between Rukia's bunny posters and Renji's motorbikes - his passion, before he realised he was more interested in the leather-clad guys riding them than the machines themselves. Being able to have a pet rabbit of her own had been one of the things her sister, Hisana, had used to lure Rukia away. 

Not that Renji was bitter about her leaving. If anyone deserved a chance at the good life, it was Rukia. And even with her gone, Renji had muddled through okay. Look at him now, owning his own business and everything. Maybe if he did this for her brother, he'd meet up with her again. It'd be good to know if her life had gone as well as his.

"Did you hear me, Abarai?"

Renji jerked at the slightly irritated enquiry from the other end of the phone. Damn it, he'd zoned out again. 

Giving himself a little 'frame yourself' shake, Renji tucked the tennis ball back in his jacket pocket, and said, "I'm sorry, Kuchiki-san, could you say that again, please?"

A slightly put-upon tsk was followed by, "I am not in the habit of repeating myself. However, Sakura can be with you tomorrow, first thing."

"That'd be fine," Renji replied, before his brain caught up. Tomorrow? He had three other dogs coming in tomorrow-

"Until the morning then. Goodbye."

The phone went dead, leaving Renji standing there in the lane feeling like he'd just had a run in with a steam-roller. Or maybe a wrecking ball. Because, apparently, just like his wife, when Kuchiki Byakuya wanted something, he didn't hold back at getting it.

*

Back at the office, Renji hit the appointment book in a panic. First thing tomorrow, Kuchiki had said. Looking at the bookings he already had, maybe it'd be okay.

Kazeshini wasn't coming in until ten and that was for socialisation training, so having another dog around wouldn't be a problem because honestly, the doberman was fine when his owner wasn't close by. If Hisagi-san would just stop jumping at shadows, his dog might calm down some too.

Ryūjin Jakka, on the hand, was a scary little monster with abandonment issues up the wazoo and an owner who was just as terrifying. But he wasn't due until midday, so maybe Renji could work around that. Mostly it was just a matter of putting up with the whining until General Yamamoto came to fetch him anyway.

That was two. Who was the third one? 

Renji's finger tracked down the page, stopping over a familiar name at three pm. Kira Izuru with Wabisuke. That could be an issue. There was something seriously awry with the bulldog's mental state that Renji hadn't managed to get to the bottom of yet. Though he had his suspicions. 

Would this be a bad week or a good one? If he swung by Izuru's drive to check if Ichimaru's car was there, he could probably make an educated guess.

Okay, so he needed to make sure Kuchiki's dog was gone by three. Or at least that he had an empty cage for it. If he had one the right size. What was the dog anyway? Renji had totally forgotten to ask.

Closing the book and slipping it back under the counter, he tried attaching a breed to the unseen owner. The guy was rich. Hugely, rolling in it, rich, and in Renji's experience, the more money someone had, the smaller their dogs. So maybe a chihuahua? Something small and yappy and bad tempered? 

Then again, maybe it was a giant breed? Something prestigious and difficult to manage like an Anatolian shepherd.

Yawning, Renji switched off the light in the office, and headed up the steep stairs to his apartment. Zabimaru waited for him at the top and he dropped a kiss on the dog's broad forehead as he passed, earning himself a cold nose to the neck. 

"I guess it doesn't really matter what breed it is, eh, Zabi?" he said, scrubbing his hands through thick furry ruff. "If it needs our help, we'll do our best to sort it out." 

First stop was the kitchen. It was small, like the rest of the apartment, and none of the cupboards matched, but the walls were painted a jaunty yellow and a series of colourful art nouveau style tiles broke up the plain white ones along the back of the drainer. 

Renji's favourite was a pink lotus in full bloom floating on a watery blue background. With the depth of the glaze, he swore it looked wetter than the stuff in the sink, plus the design matched the stained glass window in the hallway, so that was kind of neat too.

While the kettle boiled for tea, he retrieved Zabimaru's food from the cupboard and measured a generous scoopful of biscuit into the bowl. 

"Chicken or game," he asked, examining two tins of dog meat. Zabimaru wasn't a picky eater, but Renji felt bad giving him just biscuit on its own. Who wanted to eat that every night.

Over by his eating mat, Zabimaru wuffed quietly.

"Game it is," Renji replied, tossing the other tin back on the shelf next his own canned curries and stews.

Once Zabimaru was fed, Renji reheated his own meal - leftovers from a chilli cook-out at Dr. Unohana's that weekend, rice and garlic bread - and carried it, along with a mug of tea, through into the living room. There, he lit the gas fire, flopped back on the couch, and dragged the coffee table in front of him, grabbing the television controller just in case. He had paperwork he should be doing this evening, but he could afford to relax for a while first.

As he ate and the early evening news babbled on in the background, Zabimaru wandered through from the kitchen, still licking his chops, and plonked himself down close enough to Renji that he could lean heavily against his leg. 

The programme soon changed to a popular nature show. Renji mopped up the last of his chilli with his bread, popped it in his mouth, and still chewing, pushed the table away. Taking that as an invitation, Zabimaru crawled up next to him and laid his head in Renji's lap. 

Together they watched lions hunt across the Serengeti, Renji's fingers massaging soothing circles into Zabimaru's fur. But when Renji's eyes drifted shut, it wasn't lions' roars that he heard in his dreams. It was the polite stilted tones of the man who called himself Kuchiki Byakuya.


End file.
